Sleep Research Expert Rumored to Have Joined Apple iWatch Team

A post on 9to5Mac yesterday reports that Apple has brought a new addition to its iWatch development team: sleep researcher Roy J.E.M. Raymann, formerly with Philips Research. According to the post, Raymann has “extensive experience in wearables, sensors, and non-pharmacological methods of improving sleep quality.”

The post explains that Raymann’s presence on the team could signify Apple’s ideas for what the iWatch can do to improve your life—namely, measure your sleep cycle, read your biometric responses to sleeping, and offer ways to make your rest more restful. As far as evidence for Raymann having joined Apple, the post doesn’t have much—all it can confirm is that Philips Research confirmed Raymann’s departure as of January 1, a fact corroborated by his own LinkedIn profile. But just like every other aspect of the long-rumored iWatch project, Apple has not confirmed a single thing.

Even with nothing really remotely resembling verification, this news has the air of truth to it. Last summer, Paul Deneve, formerly the CEO of Yves Saint Laurent was poached by Apple and brought in to work on “special projects,” and, as speculated by our own Jeff Weisbein, that probably meant that he was going to be a major force in designing the iWatch (which, despite not being announced, has been trademarked in Japan). Adding a sleep specialist to the mix isn’t much of a surprise when you consider that Apple generally aims to actually change people’s lives and habits with its products. In short, the iWatch will probably be vastly more comprehensive a device than Samsung’s Galaxy Gear or Sony’s SmartWatch, both of which are mere accessories to smartphones.

At this rate, the iWatch sounds like it might stand alone and apart from the iPhone and iPad lines of devices. With fashion experts and sleep researchers working to create this gadget, Apple won’t stop working on it until the company has a real game-changer on its hands. Considering Apple’s track record with its other devices, it won’t settle for anything less.